Cultivating Immortality: What kind of cheat can you use if you don't have money?

Chapter 181 Moon Fairy

Left with no other choice, you return to Tingyu Pavilion and begin consulting ancient texts, searching for a way to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

Spring goes and autumn comes, three seasons change. Your eyes gradually show signs of frost, and you understand the mysterious power of stealing magic more deeply, knowing its domineering nature and the thorny cause and effect it is rooted in.

However, the methods to fill these gaps are like a mirage, with classical texts either vague or requiring conditions so stringent as to be almost legendary.

For over a thousand days and nights, hope slipped through my fingers like sand, gradually fading away.

On this day, as you were staring intently at a tattered ancient scroll made of animal hide, Xuanji brought you astonishing news:

The ruler of Youyue Kingdom, Lin Daoyuan, actually allowed Li Xuanyi, who possessed your stolen bloodline, to have twenty or thirty offspring in just a few years.

Eight more years have passed in the blink of an eye. You are still trapped in the shackles of the half-step Foundation Establishment stage, watching helplessly as the long river of cultivation flows away.

Every time your spiritual energy reaches its peak and encounters that barrier, the resulting stagnation and rebound will cloud your Dao heart and make you extremely irritable.

The only consolation is that your status as the young master of Tingyu Pavilion means you won't have to worry about resources; your food, clothing, and cultivation supplies will all be provided by the main pavilion.

[In these eleven years, you have not been entirely idle. You have occasionally taken on some tasks within the Pavilion, such as investigating anomalies in secret realms or mediating disputes between factions. With your skills and status, you have accumulated a considerable amount of contribution points.]

The deacon of the Scripture Hall once hinted that your contribution was enough to exchange for that unique, top-grade "Heaven and Earth Qi" in the secret vault.

During this period, a rumor swept through the Cangling Realm like a whirlwind:

Within the Xuan Kingdom, a female cultivator known as the Moon Fairy suddenly appeared, possessing unparalleled talent and unmatched combat prowess, overwhelming all her peers and leaving none daring to challenge her.

On this day, a graceful figure stood against the light. Qin Xiyue came to Tingyu Pavilion to find you. She had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, only half a step away from the Purple Mansion Path!

"Xi Yue—" You stared at her blankly, a thousand words stuck in your throat, "You are already the moon in the clouds, while I am still a frog at the bottom of a well. This world is not meant for me. Eleven years have passed, and I am still stuck here, unable to move forward."

She didn't look down on your low cultivation level. She simply took out more than a dozen Heaven-grade Qi of Heaven and Earth for you to choose from.

A warm feeling welled up inside you, knowing that she had found this especially for you. The bitterness of eleven years of searching in vain was soothed by this heartfelt sentiment.

His divine sense swept over the incomparably precious energy, but he still shook his head: "This energy is still separated from my Dao."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiyue's eyes flashed with tenderness, but she did not insist. She waved her hand to withdraw the Heavenly Grade Qi, sat opposite you, brewed a pot of spiritual tea, and began to recount the events that had transpired since your separation.

Her experiences are nothing short of legendary: she ventured into ancient secret realms, attained enlightenment on the brink of death, and challenged the contemporary holy sons of three sects and six schools.

Legend has it that he tested his sword against Cangling and never suffered a defeat.

His footprints have reached many countries, where he has competed with foreign geniuses, his brilliance shining upon his contemporaries. His unparalleled beauty and terrifying talent have attracted countless suitors, and it is said that if they were to gather together, they could fill the Listening Rain Pavilion.

Then it dawned on you that the world-renowned Moon Fairy was actually the person standing before you.

As she recounts her story, you feel genuinely happy and proud for her.

When it was your turn, you couldn't help but sigh repeatedly, revealing your predicament: the machinations of Xihe, the theft of your bloodline, your physical disability, and your unsuccessful search for a way to heal yourself.

After hearing this, Qin Xiyue said that she had a way to fill the gap, but she had to find Li Xuanyi first.

Upon hearing this, you were overjoyed, marveling at Xi Yue's omnipotence.

You shall immediately go to the Youyue Imperial Palace to request an audience with Lin Daoyuan, in your capacity as the young master of Tingyu Pavilion.

This unfathomable emperor remained polite to you, but when you inquired about Li Xuanyi's whereabouts, he revealed a strange expression and bluntly told you: "This person—many years ago, died from excessive indulgence, depletion of his vital essence, and exhaustion of his essence."

He then personally led you to a frigid cave deep within the palace, where you saw the emaciated corpse sealed within the black ice.

Qin Xiyue stated that since the person is already dead, there's nothing she can do for the time being. However, once she breaks through to the Purple Mansion realm, she will definitely mend what's missing for you.

On the way back to Tingyu Pavilion, you asked her why she did this. Qin Xiyue only said that she would never forget the young man in blue robes on Qingxin Peak who dared to stir up the power of Qingchi with his Qi Refining cultivation.

Faced with Qin Xiyue's confession, you could only sigh that so many years had passed in the blink of an eye, truly showing that time flies when you are cultivating.

Now, you don't want to be a burden to Qin Xiyue.

Qin Xiyue said nothing more, only giving you a deep look, a look that contained too many emotions you couldn't understand at the time. The next day, she drifted away.

Three years passed, then another three years. The war between Youyue Kingdom and Xuan Kingdom came to an end, with Xuan Kingdom being destroyed and its territory falling entirely to Youyue.

When the news arrived, you were stunned for a long time. Although you didn't know exactly what astonishing methods Lin Daoyuan had used, the emperor's cunning and strength filled you with awe.

The loss of one's homeland inevitably stirs up complex emotions, for it is, after all, the place where you were born and raised.

With the former territory of Xuan Kingdom being incorporated into Youyue, the Tingyu Pavilion branches that had been lurking in various cities no longer needed to hide and sprang up into magnificent high-rise buildings.

In a short time, the influence of Tingyu Pavilion surged, spreading across both the old and new territories, and its power was overwhelming.

As the nominal young master, you have no real power, yet you are highly respected for it, always surrounded by followers wherever you go.

Light is unique.

You return to the former land of Xuan Kingdom, standing atop Qingling City. The city remains prosperous, yet everything has changed.

At thirty-three years old, you are still stuck at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage, and nearly half of your lifespan has quietly slipped away.

And after all these years, you still haven't seen your so-called master.

A thought begins to sprout in your mind like a poisonous weed: Do you really have to accept your fate?

Does the inability to establish a foundation mean one cannot find a perfectly matching element of heaven and earth?

Find someone you can barely tolerate, someone you don't completely reject, and make do with that for your breakthrough. At least you'll cross the threshold of Foundation Establishment and gain a longer lifespan and greater power.

It's better than waiting here idly and watching the great road slip away, isn't it?

In Qingling City, you unexpectedly encounter Xuanji, who is beaming with health.

He excitedly reports to you how Tingyu Pavilion has expanded in size and how abundant its resources have become over the years.

It has become a behemoth capable of directly challenging the three sects.

It was a pity that the Pavilion Master had not returned from his travels. He felt a little regretful, but then he was also a little proud.

Even without its leader, Tingyu Pavilion is already one of the top powers in the Cangling Domain!

You forced a smile and agreed. Suddenly, the heavens and earth trembled. Then, high in the sky, radiant light surged forth, and auspicious clouds billowed forth.

You've seen this strange phenomenon in the simulation. It was the interaction between heaven and earth when Zhang Zhiqing attained the Golden Elixir.

However, the scene before me, in terms of scale and the oppressive aura of Dao, seemed much weaker than the Golden Core phenomenon I remembered.

Xuanji, standing beside him, looked up at the sky, marveling and exclaiming, "Incredible! This is the Moon Fairy of the Qingchi Immortal Sect, who, at the shores of Tianlei Lake in the Northern Region, broke through her ignorance and attained the Purple Mansion Divine Power, causing the heavens and earth to celebrate! A Purple Mansion at just over thirty years old—"

How many people throughout history have achieved this? I've heard that if she hadn't spent so much time and resources searching for certain special energies of heaven and earth over the years, she might have taken this step years earlier.

You were moved by her words, never expecting that Qin Xiyue was thinking of you all the time.

The rosy glow lasted for several days. During this time, you returned to Xuan Ce City, only to find that Huan Zhu Lou had been shut down by Zhen Yang Lou.

You arrive at the backyard of the original site of Huanzhulou, which has been transformed into a garden. There you encounter Tianjue, who is now a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He still bows when he sees you, but the respect he once had is gone from his expression.

You asked about the whereabouts of Leng Qiuyi and Yue Chi, the old friends from Huanzhulou.

Upon hearing this, Tianjue's face showed regret, and he sighed, "Young Master, those two were too headstrong. After Huanzhulou was merged into Zhenyanglou, they couldn't accept it and ended up committing suicide."

My subordinates had quite admired their talents and intended to give them more important positions, but alas, what a pity.

Feeling quite troubled, you left in silence and eventually arrived at Yuqing Peak, the former ancestral home of the Luo family.

However, all that could be seen before them were broken walls and overgrown weeds.

Inquiring with nearby cultivators revealed that when the Youyue Kingdom's army pressed in, the Luo family swore to never surrender, resisting as a whole clan, and ultimately suffered a purge.

[Frustration turns into a dull ache, weighing heavily on my heart. Friends have drifted away, old scenes have vanished, and you, trapped in your cultivation, waste your years, unable to change anything, unable to protect anything.]

Back in Qingling City, you find yourself, almost against your will, staying in the small courtyard in the south of the city where you and Ling'er once lived.

The old trees in the courtyard remain, and the well platform is mottled, as if time has stood still here.

You often sit alone in the courtyard, watching the sun rise and the moon set, your heart filled with mixed feelings, a constant entanglement with your unwavering belief in the unity of heaven and earth and your bewilderment.

Why is it that I, of all people, cannot find that thread of fate?

It was another snowy night, the courtyard was piled high with snow, and all was quiet. You were staring blankly at a charcoal fire when the courtyard gate was silently pushed open.

A figure, as serene and aloof as the moon, strode through the snow, his moon-white robe spotless.

In her hand, however, lay a woman who looked like a dead dog, listless and disheveled—none other than Xihe Zhenren of the Qingchi Immortal Sect!

Qin Xiyue threw Xihe onto the snow, her gaze as cold as ice, but her voice calm and undisturbed: "Give back what you stole from him."

Xihe raised her head, her face a mixture of bitter laughter and resentment, and hissed, "Cough cough—Li Xuanyi is dead, and what he stole has been scattered into the karma of heaven and earth. How can it be returned? Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you!"

You ask Xihe what she stole from you, and she tells you that she stole your royal bloodline and a wisp of your life essence.

When Qin Xiyue heard that she had stolen your life essence, her eyes flashed with cold light, and she wished she could skin Xihe alive and tear her tendons out.

You only learned this after a conversation.

Cultivating both body and spirit in the Purple Mansion realm, but lacking in one's fundamental essence, means that when attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion realm in the future, one's foundation will be unstable, inner demons will easily arise, and the success rate will be low.

It will be greatly reduced, and may even be hopeless for life.

Xihe's actions are tantamount to cutting off your future.

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